Angels Everywhere

I'm off to have a morning chat with my friend Sue.  It'll be nice to catch up over a cup of tea, and share ideas to plan her daughter's baby shower. 

This is a special event, since Sue will become a grandmother for the first time, which will bring into the world another "Gramma Sue."

My friend Sue is more resilient than anyone I know.  She has had several medical issues in the past 12 months, and is now recovering from a neck injury.  Though she can't drive yet, she continues to work part time, socialize with husband and family, make baby shower invitations, and carry on with life.

Here's to you Sue K.  May God continue to heal you as you prepare to become a grandmother.  We are thankful for the angels everywhere who are there to lean on.

 

MY FAMILY STORY

After spending day and night for what seemed an eternity (Sunday - Thursday) working on organizing the family history, I finally have it compiled into one format.  For years I've collected snip its of information, wedding announcements, questionnaires and photos.  Now they are combined to tell our story.  Though the geneology has been done by others, which traces our family name back to the 1500's in Europe, its the stories and memories that I've focused on.  I've put all of this into a form so that it can be added to or edited, perhaps in the years to come.  But while I was working on it, I came to the realization that if nothing was ever added, we'd have our history recorded in one place.

Some people spend time searching for the past information; some don't ever look back.  Some want to know who they resemble, or find an explanation why some event was never explained; some don't care to know.  I look for the past because I want to know who has come before me, who has worked hard, and how I fit into the whole picture.

It is a great relief to be done typing day in and day out, but somehow now that I'm done I am wondering what's next.  I felt like a "time traveler" - coming across the sea on the Oceanic, or as a little girl traveling from California to Upper Michigan by stagecoach.

My heart opened to new feelings and yearnings like how I would have felt to marry in secret, or what my own father felt like as a boy writing a letter about how his young niece could walk. What started out to be a mechanical, 'get it done' job, ended up a journey into the hearts of my family in their youth.  I could see it unfolding before my eyes, though I was never there.  Typing in the facts has brought me to visit places I never cared to go before, and look at life from a new perspective. 

Somehow now, when I look at the sea chest in my living room that came across the Atlantic Ocean with my grandfather, it has a whole new meaning.

I've got a scrapbook to finish for my nearly one year old grandson.  I guess that's what I'll do next. Someday if his own children look back to find out who has come before them, they'll know.  sb
 

Tea at Two Cottages and Tea

It has been so warm.......so warm here.  We wait for the summer weather, with our long, drawn out winters, and yet it is so hard to adjust to the humidity and heat. Really, there is no better way to enjoy a hot summer day, than a long overdue visit with my friend,  Nancy at Two Cottages and Tea.

 

Nancy and I met several years ago when we worked together.  She was part of the nursing staff and I was the receptionist.  Last year we reconnected, and discovered we have many of the same interests and ideas of how to spend our days during retirement:

Setting a lovely table, with beautiful dishes and glassware....

preparing a menu of delectable savories and sweets ........

 

and sharing collected treasures with family and friends.

Nancy is a talented gardener, and is blessed with space to garden and create many unique areas for enjoyment.

 

Had the mosquitoes not been so active in the shade today, we would have spent much more time outdoors.

 

It was a pleasure to meet Nancy's daughter, who shared lunch with us after a climb up Sugar Loaf Mountain, just up the road, overlooking Lake Superior. 

 

Besides the creative gardens and outdoor spaces, Nancy's knack for decorating with treasured collections and interesting finds create a welcoming, homespun atmosphere.

 

Though we hadn't shared our dreams and fantasies for tea time adventures in some time, it seemed we were able to continue without nearly skipping a beat. We moved from the tea time lunch table to a cozy couch, where we shared our experience as bloggers. 

I am looking forward to meeting new tea time friends, as I learn to follow and participate in Linkies and Tea Parties. There are so many beautiful photos of our afternoon, but I'll refer you to Two Cottages and Tea for Nancy's selections.  I feel so blessed to have spent such a wonderful afternoon together - I didn't realize it was 88 degrees (F).  May the Lord bless and keep you, Nancy!