Monday Tea Time Memories — The Tea Parlor

The Tea Parlor in Liberty Township, Ohio

We enjoyed afternoon tea at this delightful tea room several years ago while we were on spring break. 

It is located in the owner's home in a rural setting between Cincinnati and Dayton, OH

The photo of the plate above is the "children's tea" and includes herbal tea, veggies and dip, PNBJ sandwich, heart shaped cheese sandwiches and a decorated cupcake with a scoop of ice cream.

AJ and KJ thoroughly enjoyed this special children's tea.

If you double click on the menu above you can see the full tea menu. 

The Last Days of Elementary School

What a busy time for the fifth grade at Berea Community School!  The top three photos are of the 4th and 5th grade chorus production of The Princess and the Pea and the cast party afterwards. AJ was the minister.  The bottom photos are of the Annual 5th grade dance.  I forgot to take photos of the Family Picnic after the dance.  The elementary school enjoyed a fun Field Day on Friday.  Last week the 5th grade enjoyed a walking field trip to various places of interest around town.  Soccer season ended for us last Sunday.  Baseball is in full swing, and the local swim team is practicing every day.

The end of the school year is a busy time of the year for families with children!  

Whew!  Are we ready for middle school next?!?

Miniature Tea Sets

My friend, Cristina, gave me this 4-foot tall curio cabinet she found at bargain price.  I decided it would be perfect to display some of my miniature and children's tea sets in my "tea room." 
Note: The mirror in the back made photography a little difficult because you can see the table across the room, but if you double click on the photos, you can see the tea sets.

Fun and Games With Our Japanese Sister City Delegation

After a day of official visits, the Japanese Sister City delegation joined parents and families of local middle school children who will participate in the annual home stay exchange.  Fun and games and a tour of the newest middle school in our county were on the agenda for the evening.

As you can see, AJ had a great time.

Japanese Sister City Delegation 2010 Welcome Reception

Tuesday evening, GJ, AJ and I hosted our town's Sister City Delegation from Hokuto-shi, Yamanashi-ken, Japan for a casual welcome reception at the local district office of GJ's company.  The group will be staying in  Madision County, Kentucky for four nights and will have a jam-packed schedule of visits to local city and county government offices, schools, Berea College, Eastern Kentucky University, homes and businesses.  They will also have time for shopping and sight-seeing, including a trip to Churchill Downs in Louisville.  The evening plans include casual dinners of traditional Kentucky foods and local bluegrass music.  It promises to be a fun week for all the participants.   

Teapot Planters

Have you seen these cute teapot planters at your local Walmart?

I decided to plant a few herbs in containers and just couldn't resist these teapot planters for my project.

Anyone for a teapot of rosemary, basil or dill?
  

Monday Tea Time Memories — Lady Marpelet's

Afternoon Tea at Lady Marpelet's Tea Room in Cookeville, TN

Mary and I visited Lady Marpelet's several times.  This photo was taken in June 2004.  Lady Marpelet's was one of my favorite tearooms, and I sorry it has closed.  But have happy memories of this lovely tearoom and gift shop and antiques shopping in the area.  

Tea Decor (aka Tea Yard Art)

Thoughts of TEA here and there in our yard! 

(you may need to double click on the photos to get a better view fo the tea flags)

Our House — One Year Later — The Back Addition

The photo above is the back of our house before the addition.  The ice storm of 2009 destroyed much of our landscaping.  It made it a little easier for GJ to dig up and start all over. 

The back addition included two bedrooms, two bathrooms and a laundry room.  Also, we added a new deck and a patio. 

It was a challenge to live in the house while the renovations were taking place.  People asked us if it would have been easier and less expensive to build a house someplace else.  The answer is yes.  But, we love our neighborhood.  We could not find a location we liked better.
We began the project in April 2009.  The construction was completed in November and the landscaping in April 2010.  We still have a few things to complete this spring, such as deck staining and a new driveway, but the rain has delayed the process.  We are very happy with the additions to the house.  We now have room for all the children and grandchildren to visit overnight.

Our House — One Year Later — The Front Addition

The above photo was taken in the early stages of the front construction.  In the front, we added two rooms (my tea room and a family room),  extended the basement to make Grandpa's workshop, and removed the leaking chimney. 

Many of my long-time readers followed  our 6-month house renovations during 2009.  GJ finished the landscaping in April so I thought I would share a few photos. 

I will post photos of the back addition next. 

If you want to see more of the process, just go to House Renovation 2009 under labels on the left.