I love to learn new things about tea and teatime. I've taken many tea classes and read much about the tea experience, but just recently learned this from the Tea 2009 Calendar. "Tip the teapot lid askew to signa for more tea." How simple can that be!?!
I plan to hang these wrought iron teapot and teacup and saucer hooks in my new laundry room when it is completed. I also found the cute little hooks on my recent trip to Hobby Lobby.
This is a heavy wrought iron decorative teapot candle holder from Hobby Lobby. I thought it might be good for a citronella candle in the evenings. We've had more than our fair share of mosquitoes in Kentucky this summer.
I found several tea caddies at Hobby Lobby to add to my collection. Do I need them? Probably not. Do I want them? Yes!
This brings my little collection up to ten tea caddies in assorted sizes and shapes!
Thanks so much to W. Latane Barton over at Life in Wakefield for the fabulous Virginia-themed package from her first anniversary blog giveaway! The package included a tea towel she appliqued, a vegetable dill dip mix, an Old Virginia Pound Cake Mix, a Virginia key ring, and a package of Fresh Cooked Virginia Peanuts. Oh my, I had forgotten how good Virginia peanuts are!
The Berea Senior Citizens Center hosted their first fundraiser tea party yesterday. The menu included a Country Ham Biscuit, Traditional Cucumber Sandwich, Herb-Cheese Tomato Sandwich, Cranberry Scone, Fresh Strawberry, Cream Puff, Petite Four and Russian Teacakes. In addition, they served hot and iced tea. 
They had a silent auction of many donated items and a live auction by our mayor of the picnic themed table above. Music was provided by the Madison County Dulcimers. 
The new covered deck overlooking the pool and attached to the current deck is the perfect place to enjoy iced tea!
Friends are certainly welcome to visit us in our home, but please excuse the mess as the renovations moved inside the house this week. The work on the existing living room-dining room ceiling will continue on Monday.
Thank goodness the leaking chimney/living room wall has been repaired. Well...actually it has been torn down on the outside and built around. That leak has apparently been there since the house was built in the early 1970's. After much $$ spent for "repairs" over our past 21 years in the house, this is the drastic solution! 
I just realized we will have to put up our Christmas Tree in a different location after 21 years of having it in front of that window. Funny how profound thoughts come at odd times! Surely, the work will be complete by Christmas?!? 
The current June/July 2009 issue of Taste of the South Magazine features an article about fresh "green" beans and a local farmer-researcher, Dr. Bill Best, his treasured heirloom beans and Sustainable Mountain Agriculture Center. Bill and his family are very well known at Farmer's Markets in this area of Kentucky for their large quantities of various vegetables, especially tomatoes. In addition, I try to arrive early to purchase their freshly picked quick-selling blueberries. 
I recently purchased my newest tea book, Tea with a Twist, by Lisa Boalt Richardson, from Marilyn at marmaladys.com and Delights of the Heart Blog
...but, we are gaining two and a half more to bring our new total to four full baths and two half baths. Yikes! Who will clean all of those?!?
Girlfriend Mary is a major Dwight Yoakam fan. She called last week to say she had been given 2 tickets to see Dwight, and asked if I would go with her. The answer was absolutely yes! We were celebrating her 60th birthday. We had a fun evening and Dwight was at his best musically, he was talkative and discussed his love for his home state of Kentucky, and he demonstrated all his "tight jean" famous moves!
A thank you call to the ticket gift-giver after the show.
After an overnight and a Sunday morning buffet brunch, we said goodbye to our neighboring state of Indiana and headed back to Kentucky with lots of fun memories!
This is for Patsy — I finally made it to Reelfoot Lake. 
Continuing my posts on a "year of teas" — June 2009
While in Western Kentucky last week, we visited the Magnolia Tea Room in the little town of Hazel, located on the KY-TN border. A friend told me about this quaint tearoom after she visited last fall. I called for reservations prior to our departure from home. 
As you can see in the photo above, AJ enjoyed the scones!
If you are traveling in the Land Between the Lakes area or the Ft. Campbell, KY area, plan a visit to Hazel, KY. There are several antique shops and restaurants. Hazel is located just south of Murray. 
The hubby, GJ, attended a meeting at Kentucky Dam Village State Resort Park, Wednesday - Friday. AJ skipped the last 2 days of school and we tagged along. Oops! Did I really say that?
Above is the back side of Kentucky Dam Village Resort Lodge looking out over Kentucky Lake. The "boys" did a little fishing and boating on the lake while we were there.
We also visited our favorite restaurant in Kentucky. Patti's 1880's Settlement, located at Grand Rivers, KY in the Land Between the Lakes. 
Patti's pies are sooo yummy! During two different meals, we sampled the Coconut Cream (above) and Lemon Meringue "mile-high" Pies, Mr. Bill's Boatsinker (chocolate) Pie served with coffee ice cream, and the amazing Sawdust Pie served warm with sliced bananas and whipped cream.
Mary gave me this cute Monet tea box. It looks like a table all set for tea and scones! Thanks Mary for being my tea buddy!
The Berea Community Elementary 4th and 5th grade chorus presented Peter Pan on Tuesday night. The children worked on the musical for months with many extra rehearsals over the last two weeks. It was lots of fun, and a great presentation! That's our 4th grade Lost Boy Curly (a fox) in the photo above. 
Happy 10th Birthday Austin! We celebrated on Sunday at Galaxy Bowling and swimming afterwards with friends.
Yep! its an iPod! Happy Birthday big guy!
Saturday was a beautiful day of sunshine and low humidity in Kentucky. Mary, Patty, and I drove to the small town of Bloomfield where we did a little antique shopping and attended a lovely DAR benefit afternoon tea at a gorgeous privately-owned farm. Guests were asked not to take photos at the owner/host's request. I took notes on the foods and teas served, but no photos. So, to the readers of this blog — trust me, it was a very special event!
I purchased a silver salt spoon and sugar tongs at Nettie Jarvis Antiques prior to the guests being shuttled to the afternoon tea. 
If you read between the lines and look carefully at the photos, you may be able to determine the names of the celebrity host and hostess who graciously opened their 1820 Greek-revival home and estate to 100 members of the Kentucky Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution for an awesome fundraiser afternoon tea to benefit Duncan Tavern, the state DAR headquarters. 
