Three Years!

Hello dear friends
Now that I am working as a realtor, I am very busy and I haven't much time for writing. I thought that November 30 was my three year anniversary of blogging, but as I was getting ready to write this post I saw that the first one was Nov. 19!!  Three years and over 500 posts!!  It has been such fun. I planned to have a big celebration party but with working I just haven't been able to get it organized. That just shows how distracted I am....

From the very first cup of tea we shared, you have been very special to me.  You came into my life and left your sweet comments. You invited me into your lives through your blogs.  I have enjoyed every minute of it! 
There is a season for everything and right now I am in a season of building a business.  To really do it well I need to give it my full attention which doesn't leave time to do lots of creative things and blog about them. 

So for awhile I am putting my rose colored glasses away.

It has been a wonderful time and I'ved loved all of it.  You are all amazing women and I've enjoyed getting to know so many of you.

Perhaps if we decide to move to a new house I'll pick up my rose colored glasses again and take you on the journey with me.  Until then I'll stop by for a visit when I can.
Rhondi xo

Happy Thanksgiving

I hope that you are able to spend time with people who are important to you and in the midst all the feasting let's take time to be thankful. 
Rhondi xo

Thanksgiving #8

Today I am thankful for the flowers still blooming in our garden.  We haven't had a hard frost yet.  I am specially thankful for this beautiful white anemone, Honorine Flaubert.  I bought it 3years ago and the deer ate all the buds 2 years in a row, so this is the first time I have seen it bloom!

These Chrysanthemums are so beautiful too. I showed them to you before, but I just had to show them again because they have turned such beautiful colors, even being spotted with dark pink in spots.

I have written  500 posts and didn't even know it.  On my dashboard it says 497 posts but in my archives I have 504!    I am coming up to my third year blogiversary at the end of the month so I'll have a big celebration for both occasions then!

Hope you have a great day!

Rhondi xo

Thanksgiving # 7

I thought I'd be able to post something to be thankful for every day, but I just have not been able to do it, so I'll just post as many times as I can this month.

Today I was thinking about how thankful I am for all the wonderful friends God has given me over the years and how many cups of tea we've shared using my dainty blue tea set.  If it could talk!

We've laughed , we've cried, we've planned, we've rejoiced, we've regretted, we've forgiven, we encouraged, we've advised, we've reminisced, we've solved problems, all while drinking tea from these teacups.

Neighborhood gatherings, ladies bible studies, quilting groups, baby showers, bridal showers, garden clubs, goodbye parties, birthday teas, planning meetings, all with a cup of tea.

I am so thankful for dear friends I have had over the years, many of whom live far from me now.  I am thankful for the new friendships that have formed since we moved to North Carolina and I am thankful for all the wonderful friends I've made since I began blogging! 

One of my friends has moved to Dallas. She is a quilter and she is also looking for a good church and a Beth Moore bible study.  If any of you live in Dallas and would like to make her feel welcome, email me.  If you have moved you know hard it is to move to a new city and have to make new friends.

To all of you, thanks for being my friend.  I wish everyone could come and have tea (or coffee) with me.  If you are a coffee drinker, I just need to warn you I make the world's worst coffee so  I'll ask you to make it when you get here!

Rhondi xo

Thanksgiving #6

Whenever I think about counting my blessings, my family is right at the top of the list.  I have been married for 41 years to a very good man and we raised 4 wonderful children, 3 sons and a daughter.  I love all my kids, but I have to say I am very thankful that I have a daughter. My sons are great, but 2 live far away and let's face it, guys just aren't as relational as girls are.
So today I am thankful for our daughter.  I am thankful for her many phone calls and drop in visits and thoughtfulness.  She is a sweetheart.
And while I'm at it, I'll brag a little on her too.  She teaches kindergarten and was voted teacher of the year at her school.  Not only am I thankful for her, I'm proud of her too!

Enjoy your weekend.
Rhondi xo

Thanksgiving #5

I think I already told you that I won a giveaway from Lori at Bee In My Bonnet.  It arrived in the mail today.  I am thankful for all this free fabric!  Isn't it great?

 Lori is a talented designer and she also sent me two of her patterns.  They both look wonerdful.

 I especially like this one because it has teacups...perfect for me!!

I feel very lucky today.  Thank you Lori.

Rhondi xo

Thanksgiving # 4

I was going to plant my pansies today but I'll have to do it another day because it's raining.  It's one of those nice gentle rains that sounds so comforting when you're sleeping and the window is open.  I made my Gran's oatmeal cookies, so I hope you have time to stay for a visit and have a cup of tea and a cookie ( or two)

Let's use the red dotted teapot.  It looks so nice on my black tole tray.

A cup for you and a cup for me.  The flowers are from my garden.

I'll pour yours first.

And one for me.

Now let me tell you what I am thankful for today.  Last week we flew to Texas.  I have this habit of fiddling with my ring and as we were walking down the hallway at the airport I suddenly realized the diamond in my ring was gone.  I had just gone to the restroom a couple of minutes earlier and recalled having banged my hand against the door in the stall as I closed it .  So I rushed back hoping that's where it had fallen out.  I wasn't sure exactly which stall I had used, so I randomly picked one and there was my diamond lying on the floor!  It is a very tiny diamond from the engagement ring my husband gave me when we were just college students and had no money, so I was surprised I was even able to see it.   It symbolzes 43 years of marriage and I am very thankful I found it.

Thanks for stopping by today and making a dull day cheerful!

Rhondi xo

Thanksgiving # 3

Yesterday I bought these pansies.

I am thankful to live in a place where I can plant pansies now and have flowers to pick all winter.

 I can enjoy them here.

and here

and here

and here.

I am going to plant them tomorrow afternoon.  If you'd like to come and help me I'll make us a nice hot cup of tea and there might just be some homemade cookies to munch on!

Rhondi xo

Thanksgiving #2

For the month of November I am going to try to post every day about something I am thankful for and make it a month of Thanksgiving rather than just one day of Thanksgiving. 

 I am thankful for the freedom and privilege we have here in the US to vote.

 

Mark Twain said, "A person who won't read has no advantage over a person who can't read." 

I think it is the same for voting.  A person who doesn't vote is in the same position as a person who can't vote.   Neither gets to have their opinion counted. 

If you haven't voted yet, do it today.

Rhondi xo

Hello November

Hello November. I love the way you paint my neighborhood with beautiful color.

I am thankful for the beautiful colors of November. We wait until the end of the month to celebrate Thanksgiving, but I am going to start the month with thanks and try to post about something I am thankful for every day until then.  Maybe you'd like to join me?

Rhondi xo

Halloween Party

We are in Texas visiting our grandkids and got to go to a neighborhood Halloween party.

The decorations were amazing.  I will let the photos speak for themselves. 

 Across the street were 2 large black cats, keeping guard over things.

It was a fun party.  Sorry I don't have time to tell you any more about it but my grand daughter wants to play another game. Gotta go!
Rhondi xo

I Won!

I just won a giveaway!  Don't you love to win things? 

Jodi from Pleasant Home organized a bunch of blogging quilters to have giveaways  for their scraps of fabric.

If you aren't a sewer, you won't know that we all save our scraps because they might be useful in a project some time later.

This morning when I checked my email I had a lovely surprise: an email from Lori at Bee In My Bonnet telling me I'd won her giveaway.  These are the fabrics I won...perfect colors for me !!

She is sending me a whole box full!  It is just the inspiration I need to get going on a new project.

I'll be watching my mailbox.

Rhondi xo

Thankful Thursday

When I was posting more often every Thursday was Thankful Thursday.

We have 4 children.  Our two older sons live far away but our younger son and daughter live 10 minutes away and I am so thankful that they can just drop in to see us.   They were both here for dinner tonight.  It would be so great to have all our kids here but I am so thankful that at least two are!

What are you thankful for today?

Rhondi xo

An Afternoon In The Garden

It was such a beautiful day yesterday and so I took my camera out into the garden to record what was blooming. 

 I have lots of these pretty mums.  They start off white and turn a pale pink and they provide lovely pops of color in my garden this time of year.

On closer inspection I began to notice the bees.

So I zoomed in  and this is what I saw.

Amazing aren't they?

Rhondi xo

A Blogger's Brunch

What a wonderful day I had yesterday.  It was the blogger's brunch at Penny's home.  For any of you who have never met Penny make sure you go and visit her at The Comforts Of Home . Three of us from Charlotte headed out early in the morning on our adventure. We talked all the way there, enjoying the beautiful scenery along the way and arrived a half hour early. Penny made us all feel so welcome! Her home is so inviting and beautiful.  She is a talented mosaic artist and a great cook too.  She served a delicious brunch: 4 different quiches, still hot from the oven.

 Homemade pumpkin bread and fresh tossed salad, all served buffet style in her beautiful kitchen.

 Penny invited anyone in North Carolina to ocme for brunch and  14 of us plus husbands showed up!  Aren't we a great looking group?  So do you want to know who everyone is?   

Back row: Ulrike, Angie, Mary, Sherri, Jeanne, Jennifer and Melinda

Front row: Sam, Penny, me, Diane, Penny our wonderful hostess, Donnie and Kim

What a delightful group of women.  We talked and laughed and took pictures of each other.  It was quite funny to see 14 women walking around Penny's home snapping photos of everything and everyone.   Then we went shopping to some of Penny's favorite places.

  Here we all are as we descend upon The Screen Door.

 It was filled with all sorts of fun things. I love this chair!

And these boots would be fun to wear!

We had a fabulous time and by the end of the day we were all tired and happy! Here are the 2 Penny's taking a rest.

Thanks Penny for a beautiful day.

Rhondi xo