Sunflower Tea Time

      This week has been very busy with a grand baby boy named Elijah. Not much time to sit and drink tea. It has been "tea on the go!" So I decided to share some pictures of my sunflowers with you today and a teacup that reminds me of Fall. I know it isn't Fall yet, but the evenings and mornings are starting to get that "feel" to them...you know, that crispness in the air that brings to mind thoughts of falling leaves in autumn colors, pumpkins and cornstalks.

      I acquired this cup a few months ago and thought it was unique. The pattern is interesting and different, but very difficult to capture properly with a camera.

      If I were a flower I think I would want to be a sunflower because they look up. Their big bright faces follow the sun as it moves across the sky. It reminds me of how we should look up and follow the Son where ever He leads.

My teacup is empty today, but my life is full of blessings.

Jesus said,

"I am the light of the world,

He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness,

but have the light of life."

John 8:12

Yes, I'd like to be a "Son" flower!

And have the light of life.

      I didn't plant the sunflowers this year, they just came up as a surprise from seeds that fell in the soil last year. Isn't that how a lot of our blessings are? Seeds are planted in the soil of our lives and in their own time they sprout into beautiful flowers. God says we reap what we sow. When we sow good seeds of kindness and love, they come up later in the most surprising places. I wish every day I would remember to ask myself the question, "What am I sowing today?"

"Grow flowers of gratitude in the soil of prayer. "

~Terri Guillemets

 

And below is a picture of the reason I had "tea on the go" this week.

Have a wonderful tea time!

Blessings,

A Trio of Tea Cups

      Today I'm displaying a trio of teacups I came across at an estate sale last weekend. I liked the pink roses and yellow flowers on each of them. The vase is a teapot I picked up at the second-hand store really cheap because it was missing its lid. How sad I thought...until I got an idea. What could be more special than serving tea? - Holding flowers! So it has been repurposed.

Have you ever been like this teapot and been repurposed?

      There have been times in my life I thought I was to do a particular thing, and found out God had a different plan. He sometimes repurposes us...from what we thought we where to what He wants us to be. A change of job or relocation, can all be a way for God to use us to hold flowers instead of pour tea - like the teapot. When God takes something away from us, He always gives us something better. We may not see or understand completely what He's doing, but we can trust Him to know best.

"God loved the flowers and invented soil.
Man loved the flowers and invented vases."

~ Jacques Deval

      I brought my tea things out front today by the porch. Sitting out here is only cool enough in the early morning or late afternoon when the sun has passed by. This morning I noticed how lovely the Zinnias look in the barrels next to my chair and hope you don't mind me showing them to you.

"To be overcome by the fragrance of flowers is a delectable form of defeat."

~ Beverly Nichols

      This next one is not a Zinnia but I didn't want to leave it out because it's lovely also. It is a Cosmos.

      Cosmos' are a new flower for me. I don't know why I haven't planted any before, I think they are lovely.

      I had to share my chair with the Morning Glories when I sat down. They stretched out their little tenticles during the night and peeked out through the openings in  the chair this morning. Each bloom only shows its glory for one day and then it is gone:(

      I included this sign in my tea post today because I like how it reminders us that gardening is a lot of work. To have a lovely garden requires working in the hot sun sometimes when we want to be lying in the shade. Yet, there are times when one should sit in the shade and just enjoy it. Times like this when pretty tea cups adorn our hands and lovely flowers adorn our tables - time to be still and be thankful.

To enjoy the beauty around us and within us.

"He has made everything beautiful in its time."

Ecclesiastes 3:11

A time to be still and know He is God.

"Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth."

Psalm 46:10

A time to water one's self.

And eat blueberry scones.

Joining this garden party on Friday...

A "Fruity" Tea Time

The Hydrangeas are still blooming like crazy!

There is so much produce ripening around here, I decided to include some in my post this week. I feel like I am living in a garden of fruit and vegetables because my house is situated in the middle of an orchard, small vineyard, vegetable garden, and flower beds. They have me surrounded!

I can imagine how wonderful it must have been in the Garden of Eden...can you imagine? Every kind of fruit tree, and all the flowers you could ever want! Everything growing without hindrance, without weeds!

"The land produced vegetation: plants bearing seed according to their kinds and trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good." Genesis 1:12

These apples are growing in a tree that is estimated to be around fifty years old. It was here when we moved in. Every year a few fall to the ground before they are completely ripe. It attracts the deer, squirrels, raccoons, and birds. I even saw a Jack Rabbit eating one the other day.

The table was set for tea on the deck where the Red Flame grapes grow on the railing. It is covered with a grape pattern table cloth. I'm sorry the light was not very good for pictures today:(

The teapot I'm using has a cluster of fruit painted on both sides and the plates are also decorated with fruit.

None of these things have the same pattern but they are all "fruity."

The other thing the two above have in common is that they were both "treasures" I picked up at a second-hand store. I like to pop in once a week and take a peek around. I never know what I will find. This week I found a friend! She was doing the same thing. I'm happy to say, she was not looking for china:)

This cup was acquired some time ago. It has different fruit on each side.

Butterfly Bush flowers were picked for the table. They smell very sweet, but their shelf life is short. The pink ones below didn't even make it into the vase with the purple ones before they bowed their heads.

I had to fight the butterflies and bees for them!

My granddaughter helped me make cupcakes for her Mom's birthday; there were a few left over to enjoy with tea today.

She is wearing my gardening hat. I think she looks lovely.

(Like little Orphan Annie)

Thank you for stopping by and joining me on the back deck. I hope to have tea in the vineyard soon...when the weather permits. Hope you can join me there.

"The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness,

faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control."  Galatians 5:22-23