Faith Family Friends

Celebrating the Joy of Living & Home Making ~

Baking, Cooking, Decorating, Tea Time, and taking Inspiration from those I love and the world around me...

A sharing of my heart and my home from a Christian perspective

...with a wee bit of whimsy added.

Thursday 30 March 2017

More Snow and Wind, So Let's Perk Up With Daffodils!

Hello my lovely friends! It is almost April and the snow just won't quit. What do you do when you're longing for warm, sunny days? Well, you bring out some floral china and daffodils!

"Snow in April is abominable," said Anne. "Like a slap in the face when you expected a kiss." ~ LM Montgomery- Anne of Ingleside



Anne, I have to agree with you!

Nothing says Spring like tulips or daffodils! Hubby brought me this bouquet of daffodils home day before yesterday and they really perk up the room. 



I have always loved daffodils because they are one of the first flowers of Spring and they remind me of starry bells that the fairies might curl up in for a wee nap.



On the table is a lovely Royal Albert Shaftesbury in a glorious yellow with blue and pink posies. The shabby rose is one left over from my last bouquet.



My other cup is also Royal Albert but has no name on the bottom. 



This particular cup and saucer holds a few memories because it was a wedding gift many years ago. With Easter on the way, a little bunny and chick are also on the table. I like a bit of whimsy especially at Easter time, don't you?


I chose my RA New Country Roses teapot for the soft pink and the tiny yellow flower which peeks from behind the rose.



The little chick reminds me of the time Daddy brought home a box of fluffy yellow chicks. I remember he set up a light to keep them warm. They were so sweet and I can still hear their peeps! My father has given me so many lovely memories to cherish.

Gratitude is the memory of the heart. ~ French proverb

An attitude of gratitude can take one a long way. Even though it is stormy outside and there are storms in my life right now, I choose to think on lovely things. The blessings are everywhere! 



I still have no dates for my surgeries. Like so many, one has to wait unless there is an emergency. Since completely changing my diet, it has helped my pain considerably and most days I am able to cope not too badly. I also know there are many of you praying for me and it really helps. Thank you!

And thank you to all of you who stop by and leave a comment. They are a great comfort to me, especially now. The Lord bless you all and enjoy your upcoming weekend! 


I am joining the following parties as well~

 Tuesday Cuppa Tea
 Friends Sharing Tea
 Share Your Cup Thursday
 Home Sweet Home

Sharing from my heart ~ Sandi

Saturday 18 March 2017

A Quiet, Reflective Tea and An Update

Like seeds dreaming beneath the snow, your heart dreams of spring. ~ Kahlil Gibran

Brrr! It doesn't feel like spring today but spring is on our doorsteps. Soon all this cold snowy weather will be a thing of the past for another season. I am so ready to open my windows and smell the sweet scent of springtime!

Springtime is like the land awakening. The March winds are the morning yawn. ~ Lewis Grizzard

Hello my lovely friends! Thank you for dropping by for a visit with me. I want to thank you all for your love and support; especially for your prayers. Quite a number of you commented on my last post and I am grateful for each one of you who took the time to do that. What a wonderful group of blogging friends you are!



My medical procedure of last week revealed a problem unfortunately and I have to undergo surgery for it. I also have a hard decision to make. Please pray that I make the right one and that this surgery will prove to be successful.

In April, I will be seeing another surgeon about my gallbladder. Yes, it looks like I will be having two surgeries. It never rains but it pours as they say!

Time to think on lovely things and enjoy the pleasantries of a springtime tea. 



There are no treats as I am off every treat known to man for the time being. *groan* However, I can still savour a nice cup of tea in a beautiful Royal Albert china cup and saucer and enjoy the beautiful posies that grace the table. Won't you join me?



Tea is a hug in a cup. ~ Patrick Jane of The Mentalist

I love a surprise inside the cup, don't you? 



I have a lot of time on my hands these days so I am doing a lot of reflecting and reading. Funny how when one is young and care-free, you think life is going to last forever and you don't have a care in the world!



I went to an assessment the other day at my mother's nursing home and the nurse was telling me how once the older folks settle in, they are so focused on their health issues that they worry about everything imaginable because they really have nothing else to do. In my mother's Home they have outings, tea parties, special dinners, crafts, music, church services, all manner of activities for them but many are content to just sit or lie in their room and think about all their problems. It really is very sad.

I pray I am not like that one day. I hope that I can keep a healthy outlook and count all the blessings in my life. To make each day count.



This is a picture of my mom holding one of my baby boys. I had to alter the colour because taking a picture of a picture is no easy feat.



I read a devotional not long ago where the author was writing how he had always been busy in ministry throughout his life and now he had physical limitations that kept him confined to his home most of the time. I can identify with him because this is where I am at the moment. 

The author wondered how on earth the Lord would be able to use him now because he felt useless. Then he read in the Bible the story of Jesus at Jacob's well. He had read the story many times but this particular time, he found great encouragement. 

The Lord was resting there at the well when a woman from the city came along to draw water. Even while He was resting, the door opened for Him to minister to this woman. She found her Messiah at the well that day and she quickly went into the city and invited others to come and hear "a man who told me everything I ever did."

The author went on to say our tiny apartment, a work cubicle, a prison cell, or even our hospital bed can become a "Jacob's well." These too can become places of rest where we can wait for the Lord to bring His work for us to do.

This was a wonderful encouragement to me. There are times now when I feel useless. But at the moment, I just need to rest and when the opportunity presents itself, the Lord will show me how I can be a blessing to someone else.

If you want a field of service, look around you.

I'm sure there are those of you who can identify with this author and with me. As long as we can talk, write, or smile, we can be a blessing to someone else. Sometimes all we need to do is listen.

Welcome each new day as a gift from God.

God bless you today and make you a blessing!


I am joining the following parties as well~

Tuesday Cuppa Tea
Friends Sharing Tea
Tea Cup Tuesday
Share Your Cup Thursday
Home Sweet Home

Sharing from my heart ~ Sandi

Monday 6 March 2017

Some News with My Shades of Aqua

Every second brings a fresh beginning,
Every hour holds a new promise,
Every night our dreams can bring hope and
Every day is what you make it. ~ Cure Joy

Hello dear friends!  March has arrived with the promise of springtime not far away. Up until a couple of days ago, one could feel it in the air. We're in the deep freeze at the moment but this too shall pass.

Isn't this teapot in someone's garden adorable? I couldn't resist sharing it.


Courtesy of Holly Penner

Some of you sweet friends have been wondering how I am feeling and although I don't like talking about myself, I will share a little of what has been going on with me.

At the moment, I am literally taking one day at a time. Some days I am not in much pain and other days, I have a lot. I have two medical issues that are making my life not so much fun these days.

I am having a medical procedure done this week to determine what is causing one problem. I have been in pain for a little over a year with this particular issue. It got really bad last August and it will be good to know what I'm actually dealing with.

In April I am seeing a surgeon about my cranky gallbladder which has been causing me a lot of grief. This has been bothering me for a few months and is steadily getting worse. Seems this is genetic because some family members have also had problems with theirs. No more pumpkin pie or chocolate for me until I get this fixed up. Actually just last week I have had to eliminate everything I love from my diet. Not much wonder I have been in so much pain! I have been consuming a lot of the wrong foods. So, until I get this attended to, I won't be baking any goodies. If the pain gets much worse, I expect I will have surgery before April.

No need to tell you that I am exhausted! Pain does that to you and this is the reason why I shut down my blog party. I have been able to write a blog post about once a week for which I'm thankful.

Those of you who believe in the power of prayer, I humbly ask that you would pray for me concerning these troubles. The procedure I'm having done this week, I am particularly concerned about. I know the Lord is with me and He will take care of me but it's nice to have some prayer cover.

When we put our cares into His hands, He puts His peace into our hearts. - Excerpt from Our Daily Bread



This aqua tea-for-one set holds some magenta carnations. Magenta was my favourite colour when I was a little girl. Do you remember what yours was?

Today I am sipping a cup of Chai tea which is a favourite. Fortunately, I can still enjoy my tea because I drink it black. 




I really love this teacup ! It is in one of my favourite colours, aqua, and dressed up in a gold gilt flowered scroll with shy violets peeking at you from the inside of the cup.

A cup of tea is so comforting and sipping it from this pretty Aynsley teacup makes the experience that much more special. 



I wish you could join me.


I am also having some lovely fruit sorbet which is one of the only desserts I can have right now.

The deepest urge in every human heart is to be in relationship with someone who absolutely delights in us. ~ Larry Crabb - psychologist


I am so thankful for each one of you who stops by. When I stopped my blog party, many of my friends who linked up stopped visiting. So thank you to all of you lovely ladies who continue to bless me with your visits and comments. Of course, I haven't always been diligent in visiting some of you either. My health has sort of been dictating to me how much time I spend on the computer these days.



Have a beautiful week and the Lord bless you! 


I am joining the following parties as well ~

Tuesday Cuppa Tea
Friends Sharing Tea
Share Your Cup Thursday~ http://jannolson.blogspot.com/
Home Sweet Home~ http://thecharmofhome.blogspot.com/

 Sharing from my heart ~ Sandi