A Pet Parade Party to benefit animals in need...

A Pet Parade to benefit Animals in Need........

Yesterday while visiting some of our Blue Monday friends Charli and I found out there was a Pet Parade going on here in blog land. Well, we certainly couldn't pass this up and especially when we found out the parade will benefit some of our special little four legged friends. Animals that need all of us so desperately. Although we didn't have time to make a scarf we thought we could help by getting the word out about this wonderful organization. For more information please click the link located on my sidebar. Every link to this site earns three dollars and every comment earns one dollar for an animal in need. The Pet Parade is hosted by Katillac Shack at http://www.katillacshack.com/ If you click this link you will be able to visit other participants. I have also posted a video here and I hope you will take the time to watch it........

As many of you know this is a picture of our dog Charli. She is very fortunate in that she is very spoiled, loved, and cared for. In fact, she is a regular little diva, but that is not the case for many animals and especially in these trying economic times. Please give what you can when you can. Precious animals are waiting to be adopted in shelters all over the country. If you are thinking about getting a animal why not consider adoption......

We hope your day is beautiful and blessed in every way ♥

Don't forget to stop over at Katillac Shack to see the Pet Parade and remember every comment earns one dollar for an animal in need........ Thank you.....

With warmest regards,

The Last Rose Of Summer......

Although autumn has always been my favorite season, for some reason, this year I feel especially sad that summer is ending. Today has been cold and kind of dreary at times. As I looked out my kitchen window this morning I came to the realization that summer is over. The weatherman is predicting frost later this week. I decided I better go out and pick the last of my roses. As I was cutting the stems I was reminded of an Irish melody that was originally a poem written by Thomas Moore. It's kind of sad but you know how some of us Irish are. I love beautiful old sad poems and songs........


'The Last Rose Of Summer'

'Tis the last rose of summer left blooming alone;
All her lovely companions are faded and gone;
No rosebud is nigh,
To reflect back her blushes,
To give sigh for sigh.

I'll not leave thee, thou lone one!
To pine on the stem;
Since the lovely are sleeping, Go, sleep thou with them.
thus kindly I scatter Thy leaves o'er the bed,
Where mates in the garden
Lie scentless and dead.

So soon may I follow, when friendships decay
And from Love's shining circles the gems drop away. When true hearts lie whithered and fond ones are flown,
Oh! Who could inhabit this bleak world alone? '

Tea and friendship Tuesday's... And 'The Little Black Dress'....

Welcome to Tea and friendship Tuesday's hosted by Charli and Me. This is a fun post that can be filled with pretty tablescapes, teapots, teacups, recipes, poems, personal stories, quotes, and interesting facts related to tea, friendship, or both. It is a place to share anything you would like with a friend! If you would like to join me, just pick up a button, write your post, and then leave a comment here so my friends and I can pop over for a visit. Otherwise, thank you so much for stopping by. I hope you enjoy your time here......

"What better way to suggest friendliness-and to create it-than with a cup of tea?" -J.Grayson Luttrell-

A couple of posts back I told you a little bit about the Troy Museum and Historical Village but I didn't tell you what I was doing there. Well, once a month the ladies of our community get together to sip tea and enjoy a little bit of history. The tea always takes place in the Troy church which is located on the grounds of the village. The church was build it 1837 and the stain glass windows were installed in 1900. The church is absolutely beautiful! I think what makes it so charming and pretty is it's simplicity. It's plain in the sense that it has old hard wood floors, sometimes marred kick boards, and wooden pews. It is actually very quaint and reminds me of the parish I used to belong to as a child. It also has an old piano, like the ones you used to see in schools, that is used in some of the presentations and ceremonies that take place there. What makes the church absolutely stunning is the beautiful stained glass windows. I couldn't get very good pictures in the church but when the light comes in through these lovely windows it bonces onto the walls creating magnificent colors and shadows..........

We are always asked to bring our own tea cup and saucer to the 'Thursday Teas at Two' gatherings. I have talked about these tea's in the past and how wonderful it is to see the beautiful and sometimes unusual teacups and saucers that are brought to these events.

As you walk into the church there is a little tea table set up with different varieties of tea on it. After selecting the tea of your choice you walk to the back of the church where you will find a small side room. In this room there is another tea table set up with trays of dainty and delicious cookies. After choosing which kinds of cookies you would like, and placing them on your saucer, you pick up one of the official museum napkins. All of the napkins are the same. They are done in black and white with a monogrammed 'M.' As you move along you will come to another station where there is hot water, cream, sugar, and sometimes lemon. It's difficult to explain how delightful and organized this little process is. Everyone is introducing themselves, talking about the tea cups, and also the up coming presentation........

The thing that impresses me the most about these events is that we ladies are all so different and yet we are all sisters coming together to share a cup of tea. Some women dress up while others dress more causal. Some women wear make up while other women don't. Some women are young while other women are older. Some women where jewelry while others don't. Some of the women wear hats. Some women come in groups like 'The Red Hat Society', others come with friends, and still others come alone. It's amazing to look around the room and see how different all of us are and yet in other ways we are all so alike and similar......

The tea this month was called 'Dressed Up Tea' and it was fabulous! Rebecca L'Ecuyer, who is a collector of vintage clothing gave a presentation on the history of the 'little black Dress.' During the presentation we saw a vintage fashion show. It was wonderful! Apparently she gives these presentations all around the country so if it is ever offered in your area I hope you take the opportunity to go......

In 1926 Coco Chanel designed and introduced the first black dress into the world of fashion. Prior to that time the black dress was equated with funerals and mourning. The black dress is now known for it's versatility. Most women across America own at least one black dress and there is usually a story behind it. Rebecca shared so many interesting stories with us about the dresses she has purchased. It was fascinating! We saw many beautiful accessories from purses, to hats, to jewelry, shoes, gloves, and nylons. I didn't take any pictures of the actual fashion show but I did take one picture of some of the dresses on display in the church. The following images will give you an idea of what the fashion show was like......

After seeing the fashion show and hearing about the history of the 'Little black dress' I came up with an idea. Why not have a fashion show right here in blogland? I don't know if anyone has done anything like this before but I thought it would be a lot of fun! How about it? Charli and Me are going to sponsor a fashion show on October 22. If you are interested in participating please let me know and I will provide a link to your post. Otherwise, I hope all of you will enjoy seeing and hearing the story behind my 'Little Black Dress.'

Maybe you have a 'little black dress' that you have been unable to part with. Every dress has a story. Come share yours with us. Did you buy your dress for a special occasion or was it passed down through the generations? Perhaps it was hand made. Is it a designer dress or something you saw in a store and immediately fell in love with? Is it a dress you bought recently or is it a dress from a different era? What kind of accessories do you have? If you like, you can share hats, gloves, jewelry, shoes, or purses that go with your dress. I hope you will decide to join me. You can model your dress or display it in any way you choose. I can't wait to see all of your 'Little black dresses' and hear your wonderful stories!.........

Happy Tea and friendship Tuesday everyone!....

I hope all of you have a beautiful and blessed day ♥

With warmest regards, Carol

Blue Monday.......... And a trip to Yates.......

Welcome to Blue Monday, a post hosted by my friend Sally, at http://smilingsally.blogspot.com/ This is a weekly post where some of us blogger's get together to share something blue. Thank you Sally for hosting this fun post! If you would like to join our group, or you would like more information about us, just click on the above link to reach the official Blue Monday web site........

Autumn just wouldn't be Autumn in this area without at least one trip to Yates Cider Mill. In my case I come here a lot. It has beautiful walking trails, a pretty river, and wooden benches to sit on scattered here and there. The best part about coming to Yates though is that it's very dog friendly. Charli and I just love to come here to walk the trails, or sit by the river and watch the ducks. When my hubby and I were dating, way back when, we would come here on weekends in the fall, then when we had our children and grandchildren we would bring them here, and when I was in college I would even bring my books here to study because it's so quiet and peaceful during the week. I have written about Yates in the past when I did my Cider Mill and Orchard series last year so I won't go into any further detail here........

Here is a little blue for Blue Monday.....

And how about this! It seems like everyone is rooting for the University of Michigan football team these days. We are 4-0 now. If you enlarge the picture you will see that all of the pumpkins have "Let's go blue" written on them............

However, the reason for my trip to Yates this past weekend was to take our grandson Ryan to see a program put on by the First Michigan Colonial Fife and Drum Corps. It was a great program indeed! We learned about the history of drum and fife and how the music was used to send messages to our soldier's. We saw how muskets were loaded and shot. We also learned the history of some of the songs of that era like 'Yankee Doodle Dandy.' We saw some fancy drumming, where the drummers would click each others sticks, and we learned about the uniforms of that time. It was all quite interesting and entertaining. At the end of this post I have included a small video so you can hear a little bit of the music yourself and see the corps as they came marching through the area. Just remember to click off the music at the end of the blog before clicking the video.......

Of course a trip out to Yates would not be complete without cider and donuts. How about a walk down to the river to see the ducks? I hope you enjoy coming along with us.......

Happy Blue Monday everyone!........
I hope all of you have a beautiful and blessed day ♥

With warmest regards, Carol

The Troy Historical Museum and Village.....

The Troy Historical Museum and Village......

I am very fortunate to live near a beautiful and charming historical museum and village. Strolling through the village one is immediately transported to a much more simpler time. It's truly a lovely place where you can take a walk, sit under a tree, read a book, perhaps have lunch, stop in the gift shop, or tour the buildings and houses to learn a little bit of history......
There are all kinds of activities and fun events that go on here periodically all year long like Easter egg hunts, annual summer picnics, fall farm festivals, Halloween parties, and Christmas celebrations.........
Sometimes there are craft shows, and other times craft demonstrations like candle making, quilting, and canning. On any given day you might be able to observe the daily activities or one of the special exhibits that take place in the village........
The museum and village also sponsor an evening lecture series, Thursday Teas at Two, and the annual Poppleton school house reunion just to name a few......
The historical museum and village are funded for the most part by tax dollars and donations so many of the programs offered are free or cost a minimal amount to attend.......
Depending on the time of year you might learn about bees, how to build a log cabin, historic dentistry, observe Santa arriving in a horse drawn carriage, or meet Mr. Green Superhero who wants you to help him save our planet......
Sometimes there are taffy pulls, square dancing, and pony rides. Some days you might enjoy the music of a red garter band and other days stroll though the village while listening to a fiddler. There are a lot of hands on activities for children as well as interesting programs and things to do for adults. Couples sometimes get married here either in the restored Troy church or in the gazebo......

As you can see the garden has been harvested.......

At this point you might be

wondering what I was doing at

this beautiful little village recently.

Well, that is for a post that is yet

to come, and if you like,

it may just require a little

participation on your part.

I hope you have enjoyed strolling

through this marvelous litte village with me......

I hope you are having a lovely and blessed day ♥

With warmest regards, Carol