"TOGETHER, WE CAN DO SOMETHING WONDERFUL!"

Recently, having celebrated yet another birthday, and perhaps because the years keep ticking past more quickly now, reminding me that I am not getting any younger! Our children keep telling me, "but Mother, you are just getting older and much wiser!" How sweet! The other day I opened up a journal, in which I keep very special writings that have touched my heart. One of them spoke to me so clearly that day, about this journey we are all following, called "Life"...

" What I do you cannot do, But what you do, I cannot do.
The needs are great, and none of us, including me, ever do great things,
But we can all do small things, with great love,
And together, we can do something wonderful!"
(Mother Theresa)

Every day is a blessing, just to wake up each morning and be able to say, "I'm still alive! I still have another chance to make a difference in someone else's life today! I sweetly recall a scene from Anne of Green Gables, when Miss Stacey, Anne's teacher, said to her, "Today is a brand new day with no mistakes in it!"

One of my dear stitching friends, Linda, made this really sweet little pincushion for my birthday! Her thoughtfulness is genuine and brought a sweet smile to my face when I opened up her thoughtful gift! Thankyou, Linda!

I just love it! It also happens to match Molly Bear & Raggedy Annie! I love teddy bears too, in case you didn't know!

Among a few of my other favorite things are teapots and teacups, colored glass collectibles, vintage lace and buttons....Well, I think that these are among some of the greatest little treasures. They make me think of special times I played in my Grandmother's attic, when she let me play with Mother's antique china dolls and tea sets, and showed me how to make beautiful button necklaces.

Imagine my excitement when we visited the Sandwich Glass Museum in Sandwich, MA on our little getaway! We were able to watch a glass blower give a live demonstration of making a beautiful fluted blue and white dish. It was fascinating.

Miniature replica of a glass blower, preparing hot glass inside of the firing kiln.

Miniature replica of glass blower blowing glass.

Sandwich Glass "Cup Plates".

Aren't these "Cup Plates" just beautiful?

It was fascinating to read about the actual purpose of the little cup plates.

When the tea had been drunk from the little cup plates, the "dregs" of the tea leaves remained in the teacups. Hence the art of "telling one's fortune" from the arrangement of the tea leaves.... In one of my favorite BBC Victorian Series, "Larkrise from Candleford", one of the village older women is gifted with "reading of the tea leaves". So fascinating, although I do not subscribe to reading one's fortune in my tea leaves!

A lovely blue "cup plate"

I recall seeing one of these crystal rolls on my great aunt's dinner table and thinking how beautiful it was, but never saw it being used. The carving knife and fork are to rest on it at an elegantly laid table. Lovely!