TEA TIME IN LYMWORD

     I'm sorry I haven't blogged regularly in the last few days. I've had more irons in the fire than I can even count. Oh, well...I wanted to at least give you all the details about last Tuesday's tea time in the town of Lymword.

     As you know, Miss Catherine hosted the monthly tea time at the Emerald Isle Bed & Breakfast. At first, I was a bit skeptical about the attendance level, but you wanna know something? Everyone turned out, and I was pleasantly surprised.

    They had every tea you could imagine: regular, Earl Grey, lemon, raspberry, black cherry, you name it! My favorite by far was the mango.

    When you first walked into the parlor, there were scones, cookies, and everything you can imagine. During the evening, some of the local musicians gathered together and play various tunes. It was adorable watching the small children "dancing a-jig", as Miss Catherine called it.

    When it was finally time to leave, everyone swore to gather together soon. Just like sheer poetry, the teapot was empty, and the laughter and music scattered in the wind, destined to come back next month.

    And so did I.

A ROSE BY ANY OTHER NAME

     This past week, I visited the town of Lyword to check on Miss Catherine and her rose garden.
     Remember Miss Catherine? She owns the Emerald Isle Bed & Breakfast. And let me tell you: the food, fun and stories at the annual St. Patrick's Day dinner were absolutely wonderful!
     I was all-too curious as to how her roses were holding up, despite the chilly weather. As you can tell by the picture, they're still blooming nicely. The really neat thing is her entire backyard is covered with so many roses that you can even smell a hint of them when you walk outside.
    We sat in her den, and she told me and two of Lywords other citizens, who visited with her the same time as I did, that every last Tuesday of the month she hosts a community tea time. It's a way for new friends to connect and for old friends to reconnect. Miss Catherine also said if the weather is warm enough, tea time usually takes place in the backyard among her prize-winning roses.
     I'm kind of excited. I've never been to a community tea time. In fact, I had no idea places still did that, especially since we live in a world where most people go into hysterics if their cell phone goes haywire or the Internet stops working for ten minutes.
     For Wednesday's entry, I'll give you a complete report on community tea time in the town of Lymword.

IT'S FUNNY FOTO FRIDAY!

HAVE A FANTASTIC FRIDAY, EVERYONE!

CYBER SERENITY

     Hey, guys and gals! I've found something I think you'll love, especially if you have beach fever like I do. And you know how I am. If I find something and love it, I have to share it with everyone.
     There's this really wonderful website called www.oceanreefresorts.com. They have this awesome live web cam of The Gulf of Mexico along the Emerald Coast in Miramar Beach. You can see the live streaming footage of this slice of paradise by going to the website and clicking the "BEACH CAM" option on the menu, or directly to the web cam by clicking HERE.
      I watch this web cam for at least ten minutes a day, and it really does wonders for my mind after a stressful day. Check it out, but watch it especially just before the sun sets of an evening. AWESOME...
      ENJOY!

SPRING IS HERE!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

My garden blazes brightly with the rose-bush and the peach,
And the koil sings above it, in the siris by the well,
From the creeper-covered trellis comes the squirrel's chattering speech,
And the blue jay screams and flutters where the cheery sat-bhai dwell.
But the rose has lost its fragrance, and the koil's note is strange;
I am sick of endless sunshine, sick of blossom-burdened bough.
Give me back the leafless woodlands where the winds of Springtime range --
Give me back one day in England, for it's Spring in England now!

Through the pines the gusts are booming, o'er the brown fields blowing chill,
From the furrow of the ploughshare streams the fragrance of the loam,
And the hawk nests on the cliffside and the jackdaw in the hill,
And my heart is back in England 'mid the sights and sounds of Home.
But the garland of the sacrifice this wealth of rose and peach is,
Ah! koil, little koil, singing on the siris bough,
In my ears the knell of exile your ceaseless bell like speech is --
Can you tell me aught of England or of Spring in England now?

--(From the poem, “IN SPRINGTIME” by Rudyard Kipling)

IT'S FUNNY FOTO FRIDAY!

HAVE A FANTASTIC FRIDAY, EVERYONE!

HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY!

"For 'tis green, green, green,

where the ruined towers are gray,
And it's green, green, green,

all the happy night and day;
Green of leaf and green of sod,

green of ivy on the wall,
And the blessed Irish shamrock,

with the fairest green of all.”

--Mary Elizabeth Blake

A TOUCH OF THE IRISH

     I visited Lymword earlier today and witnessed the town getting ready for St. Patrick's Day. And let me tell you: the flurry of towns folks getting last-minute greenery on every corner was a real sight to see. Despite the store display windows, front doors, and the "KISS ME, I'M IRISH!" shirts that align the shelves like a mighty army, there's one place in particular that really caught my attention.
    The Emerald Isle Bed and Breakfast, located in the heart of downtown, is owned by a true Irishman...or...Irishwoman, that is. Catherine Rose Cole (maiden name, Kennedy), was one of the first families of Lymword, and her parent's were full-blooded Irish. They came to this country and decided to build their first American home in this particular part of the world. The home has been restored since then and is now the Emerald Isle B&B.
     Interesting, huh?
     When you first pull into the driveway, you instantly see a white picket fence and neatly-pruned shrubs as far as the eye can see. Every spring, Miss Catherine, as the locals call her, is famous for her Irish roses that span her entire backyard. Every St. Patrick's Day, she opens her home to the locals for the annual St. Patrick's Day dinner. 
      Here's a sneak preview of tomorrow night's table setting...

    I intend on paying these lovely folks a visit tomorrow. I'll wine and I'll dine, and I'll relish in Miss Catherine's stories of the Old Country, and it shall be a moment in time I'll never forget.

WHERE I WAS FOR A WEEK



     There are those who wondered where I went during my week-long hiatus. Well...without further adieu, here's your answer.
     For the past week, I discovered the beautiful, Americana-type town of  Lymword: a small, secluded Parrish close where I live with a population of maybe a few hundred. The funny thing is I've lived a few minutes from the town for only the past few years, but I've never noticed this little slice of Heaven before. I haven't told many people about it, because not many know exactly where it is...or so they think.     
     The news in Lymword isn't noteworthy to the ears of critics, except for those who long for a simpler time. For instance: Miss Snodderly, who owns the local bakery (you've got to try a slice of her famous apple pie), told me the town council finally replaced the old sign that was rusting with age and becoming too hard to read. And trust me: I'll be by there within the next day or two. They're getting store windows ready for St. Patrick's Day, and I hear it's really something to see.
     Each time I go back, I'll bring you along with me via this blog. And once you'll visit for the first time, I'll doubt you'll want to leave.  

A VICTORIAN BEAUTY

     She sits outside in the flowerbed. She's Victorian and rustic, reading a book, and watching the world go by. Every time I walk outside she truly catches my eye. Her name could be Eleanor, or Andrea, or perhaps Victoria. I just call her mysterious and beautiful. 
     Perhaps, we were soul mates in another place in time. Perhaps she was an older sister I looked up to. Or maybe she's my role model; someone who knows the secret of life and how to find the best in everything. Either way, she adorns my flowerbed, and I wouldn't have it any other way.

IT'S FUNNY FOTO FRIDAY!

HAVE A FANTASTIC FRIDAY, EVERYONE!

I'LL BE BACK SOON

     HEY, GUYS AND GALS...

     I WANTED TO LET YOU GUYS AND GALS KNOW I'LL BE BACK IN A WEEK. I'M GOING ON A LITTLE HIATUS / R & R / GET MYSELF BACK INTO KILTER / ETC. BREAK FROM EVERYTHING.
     HOWEVER, DO NOT FEAR! THERE'LL STILL BE NEW POLLS TO VOTE ON AND OTHER THINGS OF INTEREST. 
     BUT UNTIL THEN, PLEASE BE PATIENT AND I'LL BE BACK AND AS GOOD AS NEW BEFORE YOU KNOW IT. WHEN I GET BACK, I'LL HAVE JUICY TIDBITS TO SHARE WITH YOU. I CAN'T WAIT!

     HAVE A GREAT WEEK AND I'LL SEE YA SOON!  

IT'S FUNNY FOTO FRIDAY!

HAVE A FANTASTIC FRIDAY, EVERYONE!