Christmas Tea

Our church had its second annual Ladies Christmas Tea. Since our church doesn't have additional building space yet, the worship center was transformed for the tea. 80 ladies attended. The tea is an outreach opportunity to those that might not have a church home, and might be willing to visit during the Christmas season. Many little ladies (girls) attended as well as our more senior ladies. There were all of us inbetween, too. This is my second year as the tea coordinator. It was a time of food, fellowship, carols, testimony, and of course, door prizes. The food was so scrumptious. Our food coordinator planned an amazing menu that far superceded last year's catered event. ABC led worship, which was sweet and special. She is in the last few days that she will live on the island. Another friend gave her testimony which was well thought out presented gospel truth. So many women of all ages helped in the last hours to make the tea a success and honoring to God.
I was given a Christmas lei by one of the ladies in our church (not pictured). It smelled so beautiful, and was made from tuberoses which are fragrant waxy white flowers. They have an exotic sweet smell.

More Christmas Stuff Around Here

Recently I participated in a blog ornament exchange, where I got the Hawaiian angel. My exchange partner read much of my blog and learned of my Competitive Spirit, and also how I love tea. Surprise, she sent some tea ornaments, specifically for my Competitive Spirit. Believe it or not, Hubby is totally taken with these ornaments! I am too! I adore them!

Hubby has had a few different Christmas functions already. He had a lunch function with most everyone that works with him was last Friday. They had the gift exchange where you can steal a gift up to three times. Well, this is what he won.Hubby picked this jumbo box on the table...it was the largest one, much too large for the frog jester. Well, this frog just isn't the best gift in the world, so no one stole him from Hubby. Afterward the gift giver came and confessed himself to Hubby. He had gone to Ross and picked the ugliest thing he could find. Then he found the largest box he could find and put the frog jester inside. He figured that no one would want to steal something unattractive. He was right. But what he did not tell anyone was that he hid a $20 gift card to Starbucks under the back of the frog's shirt.

Now this is the first time I have put up this tree. I hung all the Christmas cards on it and threw Son1's reindeer antlers on top. I haven't even sent ours out yet! Hopefully TODAY. Put us on your refrigerator or on your lighted palm tree when we get to your house! If you don't think I have your snail mail address email me!

Adding to Our Christmas

You know I love Christmas...and I love to decorate. So here are a few new things at our house this year....

Hubby just got back from his trip. He brought me a few goodies:

Last year's White House Christmas ornament. One thing I really miss about Christmas in the Beltway is collecting these ornaments. Sure I could get them without living there, but it just isn't the same.

This year's White House Christmas ornament.


Two ornaments from his office. It is not the best picture, on purpose.

Then I participated in a blog ornament exchange and I got:

A Hawaiian angel!


My mom bought me this nutcracker, plus an additional one that wasn't available in Hawaii so she had my dad buy it in CA and save it for me until I can pick it up.


She also got me this special Christmas tea house. Son1 loves to play with it.

Mom made me this little table cloth. I picked the fabric. I wanted a nativity theme. I didn't realize Baby Jesus wasn't anywhere to be found on the fabric until I got home. It's Santa with a manger scene...so no Mary, Jesus, or Joseph. Humph. There are angels and all kinds of nativity sayings on the fabric. Strange, but nice colors.

We had this Little People set last year, but now it sits on the little table cloth. The Baby Jesus is still at preschool for show and tell and some of our manger animals were not on the table when I took the picture.

These are my new place card holders. The place card sits in their hats.


Below is the Waterford Holiday Heirloom teapot for 2007. My mom and I have been collecting the Christmas teapot they put out every year since 2003 when they first started the line. We went to several stores all over the island and called many places all over the island to find this teapot. No one carried it this year. I called Hubby in VA to see if he could pick one up, but they did not have any at that store either. So....we called my dad in CA for this, too. Now he knows how my mom and I are crazy about these teapots. He went to several stores in CA until he found one store that carried three, and he bought the last three: one for mom, one for me, and one for my sis. And for good measure, without asking, he went ahead and bought the dinner bell below, too, just to make everyone really happy. God bless him, because he thinks that Mom and I can be ridiculous about Christmas. And that's the truth! We are!

Tea for Today and Memories of Yesterday

40 minutes til tea time and counting and I have no food. But I have an idea of what I am going to make. I could stress and think about it, or I could dial myself a solution. I dial the familar 10 digits to VA and H. answers. Hello-oh?!? You know, in her I-have-caller-ID-and-totally-know-its-you hello-oh, her you're-still-alive-I-was-beginning-to-wonder-if you-fell-off-the-planet hello-oh. "Listen, H. I know I am a bad friend and I haven't called in awhile BUT HERE IS THE DRAMA..." And she giggled and sighed all at the same time. She is used to my spontaneous calls in the midst of a pinch. I almost think she rather enjoys these calls. I spilled my guts on all the reasons I was late in my food prep for tea and could she just help me figure out what to make?

In case she hasn't ever admitted it to anyone she is a Food Network addict and she has a memory like a poker player when it comes to recipes. So we ran down the list of ingredients I had, and she spit out recipes like a slot machine in Vegas that hit the jackpot, with a few different recipes.

"No, I don't have...but I do have, do you think I could use..." and in like 5 minutes I had my tea sandwiches set. And one kind I made that day was the best chicken salad accidental tea sandwich recipe ever on croissants. Let me just tell you what was in them. I defrosted a frozen chicken breast and cooked it in my toaster oven while I sliced some red grapes. The recipe called for peaches, too.

"You don't have peaches, do you?"

"Yeah, I have peaches...."I threw open my pantry doors and fished for one of Son1's diced peach snack cups. Yeah, I have peaches.....

So she kept rattling and I keep pulling food out. I grated onion when she started to ask me about the celery. Now the thing with H. is if you tell her that you are going to substitute any part of the recipe, she keeps a running total of that in her mind. And she only lets you do it once before she reminds you that you can only do it once. That eliminated a lot of initial recipes she offered from her repetoire. Anyway, celery...I don't keep on hand. However, I have celery salt. Don't ask me why I have celery salt, but I do. So I tell her that's what I am using...and I can hear her voice laugh, without really laughing at me as she says oh-kaaaay.
Translation: Interesting choice.

They turned out to be the best accidental chicken sandwiches ever. So that was the tea prep.

As for the memories of yesterday.... I ran down my checklist for setting the table and I thought so much of past tea memories. The table cloth and napkins I bought for the first time I ever hosted tea. (Remember the bunny tea when I was nice and pregnant with Son1?) The place mats, sandwich tray, plates, and cups were all garage sale finds. Most of my "good stuff" is in storage in VA. I have been collecting things for future tea times with friends since I have moved here, though. The sandwich recipes came from H. The napkin holders were from R. that selflessly gave them to me, though she had been collecting them. She knew how much I had grown to love tea. If she only knew how much I truly cherish these napkin holders. Every time I use them I remember a time in life when we were both pregnant with our first boys and loved girly things probably even more. She was a pink hat buddy, too. The tea candle holders are from a dear friend from church in her sixties. She loves to set tables. The two Willow Tree sisters are from my tea friend that just moved as a going away present. And the box of Gevalia tea that the sisters sit atop is from another friend that came for dinner several weeks back and she knows I love tea. Some of the tea bags Hubby picked for me. I don't brew loose leaf when I am in a time crunch.

All this to say I love tea because it takes an investment of time, and for me, it takes friendship. I have no problem having tea right there at the tea table next to the baby's excersaucer in my shorts and a t-shirt. It's so not about the formality for me.

“Tea pot is on, the cups are waiting, Favorite chairs anticipating, No matter what I have to do, My friend there's always time for you”.

Will Cheat for Scones

(L-R: D, me, tea friend, and S. At the Blaisdell, we had gone to see South Pacific)

My tea friend is moving, and I am downhearted. Sigh. Our time together the last few weeks has been precious. She is much more than my tea friend, but that is how I have written about her here on the blog. We have also gone and had afternoon tea together and she gave me a tea shower for Son2. Hence the name "tea friend."

We had tea at her house right up until this Tuesday. Now the movers will come, and we will no longer have tea in 2007. But we will again someday. I just know it. Usually she has made the tea and goodies. These last 2 weeks I have brought the scones. She just needs less to worry about, now. And I cheated. And it was worth it.

If you love scones, try these. If you have wanted to make scones, but are afraid, TRY THESE. They are fool proof and they taste like they were made from scratch!! They are available at your local grocery store. They are called Bette's Oceanview Diner scones, and yes, they are from the restaurant in the CA Bay Area. We have tried the cranberry orange and the raisin scones. Friend likes the raisin ones and I like the cranberry orange. From now on, I have no desire to ever learn how to make scones. I am happy with these and will cheat for scones.

Happy Birthday Aunt N**ty

Other things happen on September 11, too. Today is Hubby's Aunt N. birthday. And she is so cool. She came all the way to see us on this little rock just because she loves us, all by herself. She is a "great aunt" to our kids. She got this bright little idea to take Son1 on a 1.5 hour train ride along the coast. The conductor even let them blow the whistle.

On the open train car

She hiked with son1 all the way to the top of Makapu'u Point when I had to stop because the stroller couldn't go any further on the trail for Son2.

That's her in the window, and we're having tea.

So let me tell you why she is cool. She will hike to the ends of the earth with us. She will swim until she has goosebumps and can't take it anymore. She loves on Son1 like he were her own grandson. And she has one that is 7 days younger. She comes to our house and cooks, cleans, does laundry, and watches our kids. She is so organic that when she was here I was so regular I lost 4 lbs. She loves to take pictures of me when I am nursing (COVERED) so that I can be in a picture, too. She is only 11 years older than Hubby and she tells everyone he is like her brother. And she has never treated me like an inlaw, even if I am one. She makes me tea and makes me cookies. And she even spent 2 extra days in southern CA just to see our little family of 4 before we left. Happy Birthday and we LOVE LOVE LOVE YOU!

Big Fun on the Big Island

Just a bit more about our Big Island trip:








Grandma T., Son1, and I went for a swim at Ahalanui Beach Park. The pool is surrounded in part by the man made lava rock wall behind us, palm trees all around, and also an inlet to the Pacific Ocean. The pool is made from a spring, and the earth volcanically heats the pond between 91 and 95 degrees. The small inlet in the rock wall allows ocean water to mix with the fresh spring water and also allows fish into the pond. The water was warm and clear. I didn't quite get the huge ocean spray that happened behind the rock wall. The surf was super high behind the rock wall and the ocean sprayed about 10 feet in the air after it would slap the lava rock wall. The ocean seemed pretty dangerous which was a stark contrast to the calm pond where we floated.

Son1 was taken by the lifeguard playing the ukulele. He was ready to save us at any time, of course. :)

Afterward we headed north east. We drove through the lush foliage just outside of Lava Trees State park. These trees grow over what was once a devestating lava flow. The cool thing about the Big Island is that it looks so different from the Hilo side (where we were) to the Kona side (where we were going), and all of the totally different scenery. I didn't take more pictures of our drive along the Hamakua Coast, which is dramatic and totally breathtaking. Sigh. The kids were sleeping and we didn't dare stop. They were way overtired. We did see Akaka Falls from the Road and also Umauma Falls. Travelling with the kids is so different than when Hubby and I travelled by ourselves. We don't stop and see everything. That's ok, though. This is our third trip to the Big Island and we do different stuff each time. Eventually we will see it all. The Big Island is about 4,000 square miles. All of the other 7 Hawaiian islands could fit inside of it. On the up side of going so many times is that it also allows us the flexibility to see things off the beaten track!

Hubby found the Hawaiian Vanilla Company for me in a tourist attraction magazine. Now YOU KNOW I love tea. This is a family owned and operated vanilla mill. They also serve afternoon tea. Unfortunately, they were not serving tea at the time when we went, but at least the gift shop was open. I purchased Hot Vanilla Cinammon Tea. The tea is made with pure vanilla that only grows for 4 hours each year, and then is hand pollinated. Pure vanilla costs $175/lb...totally different than imitation vanilla that we all have in our pantries.

inside the tea room at the Hawaiian Vanilla Company

Well, we rounded the rest of the Hamakua Coast, down through the paniolo country (cowboy country) in Waimea, down the Kona Coast, until we got to our hotel, the Waikoloa. Along the drive, the landscape of the island changed again. And no, I didn't take any pictures of the Kona Coast on this trip. But basically, on the Kona coast it looks like you have landed on the moon. The land as far as you can see is black everywhere....black lava rock, set against the crisp, mouthwatering, azure Pacific Ocean. It looks like an oasis in the midst of a tropical desert, of sorts. The coast is decorated with lush vegetation along the water's edge. We got to our room around sunset, and here is the view we had from our room:

The next morning Son1 and Hubby swam and swam and swam at the main pool. Now this pool is gargantuan. It's really about the size of about 5 different pools interconnected with a monkey bridge overhead. There are hot tubs in different spots around. At the extreme far end on one side is a keiki (kiddie) beach with a sand bottom that flows into the wrap around pool. At the far other end are waterfalls and a water slide. Son1 was too short by about 2 inches to go down the main waterslide, so we changed to other pools later in the day. We had lunch first, though. This is what happened at lunch:

From the lunch table, we spotted a shady spot on the keiki beach (kid's beach) and we put Son1 down for a nap, under a palm tree.

Son2 had been fed, and was somewhat rested. So while brother napped, he got a chance to play.

Now with Son2 doing all of his strokes...you know, back stroke, butterfly, and crawl, he was just plain tired. So he took a little snooze in daddy's arms. Son1 was up and we walked to a different pool with smaller water slides.

Son1 coming down the slide into Grandma T.'s arms

It was finally time to get everyone out of the pools and start thinking about dinner. After dinner, all Son1 thought about was riding the boats. He had ridden them the last 2 days with grandma. Along the entire center of the hotel, you can take these little boats to different shops and towers. When Hubby tried to join Son1 and Grandma T. on boat ride Son1 did not allow that! He wanted the ride to be for just HIM and GRANDMA.

He did allow Hubby to take him on the tram. It runs through the center of the hotel, too.




It was finally time to leave the Waikoloa yestereday. Son1 was not happy. He cried and cried. MY BOATS! MY TRAIN! It was a great vacation, and we were all a little sad to see it come to an end.




Aloha, Big Island. Until we meet again...........

When I have a few moments (WHEN?)

Just a little personal sharing time from me....like you used to in elementary school....

Some things I love cost money. Yeah, that list could go on and on. But when I have a few moments, there are a few priceless things that tickle me and warm my soul.

I LOVE to go to the library alone for LOTS of reasons. I can actually hear the "library quiet." It has a nice sound to it, when I have a few moments alone. If a book jacket makes my eyes dance, I can take time and look. I don't worry that the humongous stuffed Clifford has been pulled from the top of a bookcase, or worry if those meanie weenie older kids will let my child have a turn at the special Clifford reading table. When I check books out of the library I force myself to read the books, unlike the books I buy. Yesterday I checked out a slew of books on tea, a novel by a favorite author, and one on Victorian England. And yes, I WAS alone!

On tea...I love a good cup of loose leaf. My new favorite is Chocolate Mint. Stop on by, I have it on hand, thanks to my sweet sis. (Ha! She's not a tea drinker.) Mmmm. Tonight I will totally make the time to boil the water, warm the pot, add the leaves, strain, and serve. It does taste like a liquid candy of sorts.

Putting in some elbow grease and polishing silver brings me great joy, too. My favorite silver polish product is Hagerty's. Good looking silver makes me totally enjoy using it. Please people, do not use that Tarn-X stuff, or Soft Scrub. You will ruin your good stuff!

And one day, when I have a few moments, I want to use my dough hook attachment for my Kitchenaid. I have never even used that attachment!

I know you're thinking of yours...do tell....what are your priceless pleasures?

Tea 4 Four

sharing Tater Tot's toys

tummy time while mommy shares deep thoughts and secrets at the tea table

Last week a sweet friend invited me for tea, and for Son2 to play with her baby boy. She's moving, and I have been running in circles lately. We're both busy, but it was delicious to just unwind and share some time together, calmly. She is so thoughtful and hospitable. And she gets me. Hostessing is so different than entertaining....you know what I mean?

I do have a little confession. Friend is such a great baker, usually. She is constantly whipping up amazing desserts. When I saw these scones I assumed she made them. Side note: I have recently lost 5 lbs from increasing the amount of vegetables I eat. I decided to splurge on my caloric intake when I saw these scones. Plus, if friend made them, they had to be all that. Mmmm lemon blueberry. So I am gathering my things, about to leave, and I pay my compliments on the scones...yeah, the several I had just gobbled. Ooooh so delicious. Did you make them yourself, friend? Oh no....hubby laughed at me when I told him you were coming over and I had to run to Safeway late at night to get these. Hmmmm....would I have so anxiously gobbled them if I would have known they were store bought? Probably not. But I've learned a great time saving idea when I host a tea morning.