What Do You See Outside YOUR Open Window Today?

What Do You See Outside YOUR Open Window Today?
Remember: "When God closes a door, He always opens a window!" You never know what might be out there waiting for you!

Sunday, January 4, 2015

After Christmas Tea

This post is for all my tea party friends out there...and I am NOT speaking politically! As I was putting away all of my Christmas decorations I realized that I had not taken time to have one single tea party


during the Christmas season! What a shame!  It's not like I never had any company here...we had PLENTY...and we ladies of the family gatherings even shared different types of tea bags with each other as gifts...




I even received some teapot tree ornaments as well as  a cute teapot salt and pepper shaker set as gifts.


But not once did we actually specifically sit down and have a "Christmas Tea Party".

So, this afternoon, before totally putting away all of the Christmas table decorations I decided to have a tea party. The only problem was...there were no ladies around to invite!  I asked my hubby if he'd like to have a cup of tea with me, but he politely declined in favor of watching football from the couch...

So, not to be deterred in my quest for a little feminine frivolity, I invited my dollies to tea!

The honored guests were Miss Ireland and Miss Denmark of Madame Alexander fame....
and the china tea set belonged to my husband's Grandmother, "Nanny Martin".  It is a "Craftsman China", Romance pattern, #379, Made in Japan. It was brought home from Japan directly by my husband's Uncle, who was serving as a Commander in the Navy, back in the 50's.



The tea of choice for today was not the proverbial "Cup of Christmas Tea" (Twinings), which is a delightful mixture of cinnamon and spices just right for any occasion...but no, my choice today was the favorite tea of my paternal Grandma Elva Hill Mursch: Bigelow's "Constant Comment".  I had actually given myself a gift of a new box of this spiced orange black tea as Christmas gift for the tea cabinet.  The description on the carton is quite interesting...
"In 1945, inspired by an Early Colonial recipe, Ruth Campbell Bigelow disappeared into her New York brownstone kitchen to create a better cup of tea.  After weeks of trial and error, blending black tea with orange rind and sweet spices, she emerged with the first cup of specialty tea.  Ruth gave  out her blend to friends who later told her the tea 'was a source of constant comment.'  Her tea earned a name and the Bigelow Tea Company was born."
And since the tea of the day was my Grandmother's favorite, it was appropriate that my other sweet dolly, "Baby Elva", the namesake of my Grandmother, should also be a guest:




There she is, sitting in her little carriage beside her own personal Christmas tree...which I am loathe to remove as I enjoy it so much...

While sipping my cup of "Constant Comment" tea, I chatted on the phone with a good friend, so it was almost as good as having a real tea party with real friends right here.

One of my "resolutions" for the new year is to plan several real tea parties for friends and loved ones...Oh, and the dollies too.  They seemed to enjoy stepping out of the cabinet for an afternoon and would probably appreciate doing so more often!

Well, friends, that about sums up my "After Christmas Tea" party! I do hope you enjoyed this little visit...and it would be my greatest pleasure if you would honor me with your presence again in the near future...maybe even in person next time!

Until then,

"Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love,
in honor giving preference to one another;
not lagging in diligence,
fervent in spirit,
serving the Lord;
rejoicing in hope,
patient in tribulation,
continuing steadfastly in prayer;
distributing to the needs of the saints,
given to hospitality.
Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.
Rejoice with those who rejoice,
and weep with those who weep.
Be of the same mind toward one another.
Do not set your mind on high things,
but associate with the humble.
Do not be wise in your own opinion."
Romans 12:10-16


Some great words of wisdom to ponder as we complete our visit. Hope to see you again soon!

20 comments:

  1. We did drink some "Christmas Tea" together the past 2 recent visits! We just didn't get out the pretty tea cups! I missed doing that too! Maybe the next time we will be able to "relax" a little bit more!! :)
    I'm sure your dollies enjoyed your party!

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    1. Yes, I know we did drink a cup of Christmas tea...that is true...and it was sweet fellowship. I guess what I am longing for is just a good visit without all the hard work of a big dinner...and have time to sit and visit and relax together with a real tea party. Someday soon I hope! Happy New Year!

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  2. Hi Pam! I LOVE Constant Comment! And it's great that it comes in a decaf version too. I'm sorry you didn't have time for a tea party this holiday, but I'm glad you thought of a substitute. You had fun!
    May you be richly blessed with love, peace and tea parties in the coming year :)
    Ceil

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    1. Hi Ceil! So nice to see you again. I hope you had a wonderful Christmas, etc. Next year I am going to schedule a tea party into the festivities, although I love the spontaneous kind too...but I want to make it happen for real! Happy New Year and may God bless you with peace and joy all year long. Have a cup of Constant Comment with me virtually! :)

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  3. Oh such sweet guest, your Madam Alexander dolls. I collected dolls at one time but don't have one of those.I too enjoy a cup of Constant Comment Tea. I would have enjoyed a cup of tea with you!

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    1. Hi Sylvia! So glad you could stop by. I was thinking of you when I wrote this. Maybe someday we WILL sit down to a cup of Constant Comment together! My Grandmother actually gave me my first Madame Alexander doll when I was a little girl. I still have her, but her legs are broken (the rubber bands in the knee joints broke, so she had to stay in the cabinet. These other two my mother gave me I think when I was an adult. She collected Madame Alexander dolls and had quite a large collection. After she died, I only took one...an "Anne of Green Gables" doll, which I did a tea party with a couple of years ago. Looking forward to a wonderful New Year...and praying that yours will be also.

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  4. I just happened across your blog today; and so happy I did. I love the tea party you displayed. Everything was so lovely. Love your sharing of your dolls. I notice you have some beautiful flowers blooming outside your window. So many things to enjoy. Thanks so much for sharing.

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    1. Thank you for stopping by for a visit! I hope you will come again! God has truly blessed us and I thank Him for all of the above! It is a joy to share what we have with others...simple and homey as it is. Nothing extra spectacular here...just the fact that God is with us makes it spectacular!
      Have a wonderful day!

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  5. I read this delightful post earlier and I can see I did my usual thing any more...I composed the comment in my head as I was reading...only forgot to get here and put it down.

    I absolutely LOVED this, Pam. I wish we lived close enough to have real tea parties face to face. Hugs to you my sweet friend.

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    1. I do that a lot too....or I get interrupted and can't get back to it as soon as I'd like. But thank you so much for your thoughts and words...and YES< I'd love to have a real tea party with you someday! You never know!!!

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  6. Happy New Year, Pam! I am so happy to have you join me for Tea Time. Your dollies make the perfect guests when there are no other ladies around. I used to collect dolls myself at one time. Your Baby Elva is adorable there by the tree and your china is so pretty. The holidays are so busy that one may tend to forget to sit and enjoy a cup of tea during the day. I'm glad you had a wonderful Christmas with lots of friends and family around. Enjoy your week.

    Blessings,
    Sandi

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    1. Oh Hi Sandi! I don't get around to the "tea parties" very often, and when I do it is so delightful. Thank you for hosting such a lovely site! And I am honored that you would stop by and pay us a visit here for my After Christmas Tea. Yes, Christmas was very busy indeed, and we entertained a lot of family and friends, but I was so busy cooking and cleaning and wrapping presents, etc., that I failed to do what I enjoy most...just relaxing with a good friend and a cup of tea. I hope to rectify that in the coming months. Thank you again for your visit. You are always welcome!

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  7. What a pretty tea set! I also really like the adorable tea ornaments for the tree.

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    1. Thank you Margie...and welcome to my tea party! So glad you could stop by for a visit! Next Christmas I hope to have a special little tree just for the teacup ornaments that I've been collecting. (mostly gifts). They are so cute, I don't like to put them away all year, so they are sitting in different places here and there. Hope to see you again soon!

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  8. What a lovely tea set. And I do like your MA dolls. I have a few but have never "invited" any for tea. Must do that in the future.

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    1. Hello Beth! I am so glad you stopped by for tea! Perhaps you should invite your Madame Alexander friends to tea...my girls were so happy to step out of the china closet where they live watching our daily lives from behind glass doors...and to actually participate in a real live tea party! I know I heard them say "Thank you!" I'm certain yours would do the same! Ha Ha. Have a blessed New Year and many happy tea parties! Please stop by again someday!

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  9. Pamela:
    I enjoyed your table setting with the whimsical dolls and that teapot and tea set. I have actually seen it before as some pieces are in an antique mall I go it in Denver, Colorado. It is lovely and I enjoyed your post!

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    1. Thank you Benideen! I am so happy that you stopped by for tea! How interesting that you have seen this china pattern in an antique mall! It is a lovely pattern, but all the more special to me because it came from my husband's grandmother. I usually use it around Christmas because of it's green and red (more of a burgundy red) wild cherry or holly pattern, but is pretty enough to use anytime. Please stop by for a visit more often. I don't do tea parties very often, but they are always so much fun when I do!

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  10. Dear Pam, what a lovely tea party! I wish I could of joined you and your special dollies for tea! Your tea set is so beautiful and such a wonderful treasure to have! I hope you do more tea parties in the future! I know it has been a while since I joined Tea Time. This season and now January has been really hard for us, as I know it must be for you too.
    Wishing you many blessings this new year for you and your family,
    Nany

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    1. Thank you Nancy for dropping by! I was so hoping you would! Maybe someday we WILL have that tea party together. I think we both need it! Yes, the holidays were difficult but still wonderful...we are learning to celebrate LIFE everyday...realizing that our loved one is celebrating in heaven with Jesus and all the saints and angels...and that he would not want us to be sad. But we do miss our dear ones so much...nothing will ever be quite the same.
      Yes, I do hope to have more tea parties in the future. I am still working, however, so I have to grab those special moments whenever I can and make the most of them.
      Thank you again for your kind words and visit. I am wishing you and yours a blessed year and much joy as well.
      Pam

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Thank you for visiting here today. I would love for you to sign my guestbook and let me know you stopped by. I always enjoy reading your comments and words of encouragement! May you be blessed as you go on your way. Please come back and visit again soon.